Contract gives Rutgers administrators 2% annual raises

Rutgers University administrators will receive pay increases of about 2.15 percent a year under a three-year contract approved by union members Wednesday.

A union spokesman said a "strong majority" of the 2,400-member Rutgers Administrators-American Federation of Teachers voted in favor or the agreement. Balloting took place at the Camden, Newark and New Brunswick campuses.

The agreement lasts three years and 10 months, retroactive to September 2014, when the last contract expired. Members will receive a lump sump payment for the months since September.

Administrators will receive raises averaging about 8.25 percent over the 46 months. Other provisions limit increases to health insurance contribution rates and provide for more professional development, the union said in a statement.

Union leaders also praised the increase to 30 months, from 18 months, in the recall period after layoffs occur. That period is important because some workers' positions are based on grant funding; gaps can occur after one grant runs out and before the university receives another one.

"This is a fair, reasonable and responsible contract and we are gratified that it has been overwhelmingly ratified by the membership," Rutgers said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon by a spokesman. "We congratulate both negotiating teams for their hard work, perseverance and creativity in arriving at this agreement."

The administrators union includes assistant deans in academic departments, administrative assistants in student services, and other areas, including dining, housing, and athletics. It does not cover the highest levels of administration, including academic deans or chancellors.